Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton conceived the idea as one more way we can engage with other countries. This will happen on several levels — JBF will help The State Department identify chefs to cook for visiting dignitaries, be a resource for foreign chefs who come to the U.S., and work with American chefs traveling abroad to meet with chefs in their respective countries. The initiative exists regardless of who is President. It’s non-partisan, as food should be.

About 40 chefs attended the event. Before the reception, the chefs got a tour of the White House. Chefs, a casual group for the most part, were all dressed up for the occasion. I haven’t ever seen that many chefs wearing ties; we all recognized how unique this experience was.

The bee hive in the White House Garden

The Green Room, which is now a sitting room, used to be Thomas Jefferson’s dining room. To stand in the room and envision him eating his meals there was humbling to say the least. We were all surprised by the size of the kitchen — it’s quite small — about the size of the upstairs kitchen at Waterbar. Seven people are on the White House culinary team, a small number considering the number and caliber of the people they serve.

We walked down to see the infamous culinary garden full of late summertime produce and greenery. It was impressive to see the garden on one side of the lawn and an urban city with cars and pedestrians on the other.

There’s been a lot of talk about the White House beer. but did you know they have a bee hive?

It was inspiring to witness, and not just hear, that the White House looks at food the way we do. Hillary Clinton is right. Sharing food and cuisines can only heighten our relationships with others.